Shoe conditioning apparatus



April 7, 1953 M. MAESER EI'AL 2,633,533

SHOE CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed March 16, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 In van hrs Mieth Mae as P Leon 0. flloerman April 7, 1953 M. MAESER ETAL SHOE CONDITIONING APPARATUS ,5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I29 Invenfnrs Miezh Maeser' Leon '0. flloerman y f/zi flzzor' Filed March 16, 1950 April 7, 1953 M. MAESER EI'AL 2,633,583

' SHOE. CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed March 16, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 35 km -J L -i [Z 27 2'7 a In van fans Mz'ezfh Maeser Lean [7.fl20erm4m April 7, 1953 M. MAE'SER ETAL 2,633,533

SHOE CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed March 16, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 3 3 Inuen for: k Mist/z Maeser' Leon [7. /7Z o'er-man April 1953 M. MAESER ETAL 2,633,583

SHOE CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed March 16, 1950 5 Sneaks-Sheet 5 k JH 112g. 5. I I In men furs Mz'czh Maesgr Leon llfllo'er'man Patented Apr. 7, 1953 SHOE CONDITIONING APPARATUS Mieth Macser, Beverly, and Leon D. Alderman,

Magnolia, Mass, assignors to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 16, 1950, Serial No. 149,937

1 Claim.

This invention relates to apparatus fortreating partially fabricated footwear and is more particularly concerned with apparatus for conditioning shoe uppers comprising leather. Though not limited to such use, the invention will be recognized as having special merit in connection with the preparation of shoe uppers for the pulling-over and/or lasting operations;

The advantages of making leather pliable by subjecting it to moisture or steam prior to further working have lone been appreciated. It is customary in most factories to mull leather uppers as a preliminary step in producing high quality shoes. However, considerable time normally elapses before an upper is assembled on its last and has reached the pulling-over stage of shoemaking. As a consequence,'uppers frequently become quite dry and are in need of having their temper restored. More recently, in an eifort to reduce the exposure time required, the tendency has been to retemper leather without harming it by employing superheated steam at temperatures even above 250 F. Experience has shown that the various tannages and thicknesses of dif ferent types of upper leathers have their peculiar limitations and ranges, however, both as to minimum treatment times and the corresponding maximum temperatures at which superheated steam may be safely applied. Excess moisture on the work usually results in a spotty or unseemly surface appearance and also encourages a hydrolyzing of the leather fibers which prevents the pulling-over operation, for example, from being subsequently performed 'without cracking or otherwise. adversely straining the grain of the upper, particularly Where sharp bending is incurred, as at the bottom of a last.

Two additional factors may be mentioned. as hearing on this problem of hastening the tempering of upper leather so as to prepare it properly for further shaping as is done when tensioning stock over a last or shoe form. It is now appreciated that, though excess moisture is defi nitedly detrimental when operating at high temperatures, some moisture is essential and the quantity should be controlled so as to approximate (and not exceed) the rather small amounts which can be made to penetrate, at atmospheric pressure, the outer and inner surfaces of the upper leather while both are being subjected to circulating superheated steam. Moreover; this tempering by natural moisture absorption of the leather during immersion in dry steam preferably should be allowed to continue for only a short time and not permitted to continue until the steam commences to reverse the process by draining the upper of the already absorbed moisture.

Having all the aforementioned qualifications in mind, it becomes highly desirable from a practical viewpoint to enable an unskilled worker or pulling-over machine operator to provide appropriately tempered uppers ata high rate of production which will correspond closely to that of the pulling-over machine itself. Th minimum time for satisfactorily tempering an upper, depending upon the nature of the material and the permissible conditioning temperature, may run from approximately 45 seconds to approximately one minute, whereas the faster pulling-over operators may require less than 25 seconds per shoe for the pulling-over operation. It is apparent that for best results, whatever the rate of tempering each upper, production of the pulling-over machine should not be delayed, nor should the tempered upper be removed from the locality of its conditioning treatment much before the pulling-over machine is ready to operate thereon.

Accordingly, a principal object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus by which shoe uppers, irrespective of the nature of their leather content, may be conveniently, rapidly, and beneficially conditioned preparatory to shaping or fashioning as in the pulling-over op:

eration. I

To this end, a feature of the invention. resides in the provision in" a. conditioning machine of a chamber adapted to enclose and support one or more uppers loosely positioned on theirl'respective lasts, means for-supplying superheated steam for contact with the inner and outer sur faces of the uppers in said chamber, and means for simultaneously moving an upper into the chamber and removing a treated upper from the chamber, whereby consecutive uppers may be prepared for pulling-over on their lasts.

A further feature of the invention is the provision, in combination, of a leather conditioning chamber adapted to support an upper mounted loosely on its last, means for flowing superheated steam toward the inner and outer surfaces of the upper in said chamber, and means for conveying a plurality of uppers on their'lasts, said conveyor means being arranged and adapted to consecutively move an upper into said chamber and then, at the will of the pulling-over machine op.- erator, out of said chamber and to the vicinity of a pulling-over machine. I

The above and other features of the invention,

comprising various combinations and arrangements of parts, will now be more particularly described in connection with a preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings illustrating the same, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus exemplifying this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in rear elevation of the lower portion of the apparatus housing the drive mechanism, a cover being removed to disclose the interior;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in rear elevation of the upper portion of the apparatus, a cover of the stand being removed and showing connections between the drive mechanism and conveyor bars;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken on the line IVIV of Fig. 1 and showing the arrangement of the work supports, as well as the location of uppers and lasts thereon before, during, and after their conditioning;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a portion of the apparatus, cover plates being omitted to reveal the mechanism for operating the chamber doors; and

Fig. 6 is a detail of mechanism for shifting the conveyor bars heightwise.

In certain respects the lower portion of the present apparatus resembles the respective lower portions of the apparatus for conditioning soles disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,488,533 granted upon application of M. Maeser et a1. and for treating shoe toes as disclosed in Patent No. 2,460,940 granted upon application of M. Maeser. As the corresponding similarities form no feature of the present invention but are merely incidental thereto, it will suffice if they are only briefly referred to hereinafter and reference may be made to said patents for further particulars.

Referring to Fig. l, the present apparatus comprises a floor stand H3 preferably situated next to a pulling-over or other leather Working machine. To the top of the stand 18 is secured an upper conditioning chamber i2 adapted to receive at least one upper, and preferably, for reasons hereinafter explained, able to accommodate two or four shoes in a row. superheated steam is supplied to the chamber [2 by a boiler is (Fig. 2) mounted on a shelf I6 of the stand I (3. As

in the other constructions above referred to, wa-

ter in the boiler It may be heated to a desired temperature by an immersion heater (not shown) and controlled by a thermostat "3 (Fig. 1) conveniently mounted on the stand. Compressed air from a factory source or from a pump l9 (Fig. 2) is conducted through a filter 26 into the bottom of the boiler 14 and allowed to bubble upwardly to become loaded with vapor before being conducted via a pipe 22 to a superheating unit 23 mounted within the base of the chamber I 2. The steam is then conducted from the superhcating unit 23 and admitted to distributors 2 5 (Fig. 4) located near the bottom of the chamber. The effect of the super-heater is to insure a fine control over the temperature and relative humidity of the steam which is introduced upwardly into the chamber l2 through evenlyspaced apertures 25 in the distributor 2d. Control of these conditioning factors is necessarily extended over a considerable range to accommodate various leathers, the operating temperatures varying, for example, from about MW-260 F. for light weight chrome tanned uppers to about 450 F. for other types. An additional electric heating unit 27 located in the top of the chamber I2 is controlled by a thermostat 25 (Fig. l) to uniformly maintain temperatures in the chamber.

As disclosed in Patent No. 2 l60,9=i0 cited above. dry air under pressure from the pump l9 may be admitted to the superheater unit in a regulated how for mixing with the superheated steam. The dry air will preferably have been heated prior to mixing as by its passage in contact with a heater element not shown) controlled by a thermostat 28 mounted alongside the water temperature controlling thermostat is. The result is to insure that all moisture is vaporized prior to ad mission of the mixture into the chamber !2 from the apertures 25. The greater degree of dryness will be found to be especially needed to protect certain materials otherwise having a tendency to hydrolize, such as vegetable tanned sheepskin and light-weight uppers which are finely embossed or have an organic finish.

The apparatus embodies means uniquely adapted to present uppers consecutively to the chamber l2 and to remove them therefrom after conditioning. Thus, a pair of horizontal and substantially parallel carrier bars 38, best seen in Fig. 4, extend through the chamber l2 and are spaced to support in a row a series of lasts L having their uppers U loosely mounted thereon. Each of the carrier bars 3% preferably has a narrow top strip of felt 32 for contacting the bottoms of lasts placed thereon. Lugs 34 (Fig. 6) secured to the respective ends of the bars 30 are bored to permit the latter to slide lengthwise of a pair of rods 35. Cross mem are 38, to which adjacent ends of the rods 35 are affixed, are supported for heightwise movement by posts 4:! arranged one at each side of the machine. The posts it are guided for vertical movement in bearings 62 secured to the stand iii, their heightwise motion being synchronized and derived from mechanism hereinafter to be described.

The chamber 1 2 is provided with well-insulated walls enclosing the zone of conditioning. Further to minimize the effects of external factors on the conditions within said zone when shoes are introduced or removed, insulated admission and exit doors 44, 46 respectively are mounted for swinging heightwise in unison and in cooperation with movements of the carrier bars 39 as will be seen. That portion of the apparatus external to the chamber and adjacent the ad mission door it may be considered a loading platform generally designated 48 (Fig. 4) and, similarly, the external portion adjacent the exit door 46 may be considered an unloading platform generally designated 59 (Fig. l) the latter being preferably situated in the immediate vicinity of a pulling-over machine.

For intermittently cooperating with the carrier bars 3% in supporting the lasts L and their uppers U, stationary rests 52 (Fig. 4) are adjustably spaced apart and mounted on the bottom of the chamber 12 parallel with the bars, and other shoe receiving rests 5d are located at the unloading platform 56.

The work conveying means being described is controlled by a switch 58 (Figs. 1 and l) actuating conventional clutch mechanism, the switch being conveniently disposed to be depressed by an operator when he has placed an upper with its last across the bars 35 at the loading platform 48. Until the switch 58 is so depressed it may cooperate with a rest 5? to support the work. The switch 55 is integral with a lever 53 fulcrumed on a lug Gil and extending to the rear of the apparatus for pivotal connection with a vertically 5 disposed forked link 62 (Fig. 3). The lower end of the link 62 is connected to a plunger 54 reciprocable through ears secured to the stand I0. A compression spring 66 bears against one of the ears and a stop shoulder 68 of the plunger normally to hold the plunger in its down position when the switch 56 is not depressed. The plunger 64 has at its lower end a combined stop and cam block I arranged in the rotational path of a shifter roll I2. The roll I2 is aflixed for rotation with a clutch sleeve I4 which is keyed for coaxial movement on a drive shaft I6 rotatable in bearings provided in the stand It. A thrust collar I8 is pinned to the shaft I6 to receive the lateral thrust in one direction of a freely rotatable sprocket 80 also mounted on the shaft IS. A compression spring 82 on the shaft I6 abuts a collar 84 and, when the block I0 is raised by depressing the switch 56, urges teeth formed on the clutch sleeve I4 into mesh with teeth formed on the sprocket 82 to drive the shaft I6 in the direction indicated by the arrow (Fig. 3).

Power for operating the carrier means is afforded by an electric motor 88 (Fig. 2) mounted on a lower shelf 88 of the stand I0 and controlled by a switch 85 located on the front of the machine. A belt 90 enables the motor 35 to drive the air pump I9 located on that shelf and an endless chain 9I connected to speed-reducing mechanism installed on the shelf I9 and generally designated 92. An endless chain 54 con nects the mechanism 92 with the sprocket B0 continually to rotate the latter at a speed lower.

than that of the motor 86.

Reverting to the posts 40, their tical movement for raising and lowering the carrier bars 30 is derived from similar mechanism disposed on both sides of the stand I0. Thus, as best seen in Figs. 3 and 5, cams 96, 96 are respectively mounted on each end of the shaft It for rotation in phase. A cam follower 99 (Fig. 3) engages the periphery of the cam 96, being supported between the lower ends of a pair of confronting members 98, respectively, having elongated guide slots I00 for receiving the shaft IS. The upper ends of the members 98 are pivotally connected to a lever I02 and a vertical element I04. The lever I62 is pivotally supported by the stand I0 and is provided with a forked end straddling the post 40 and a pin I aflixed thereto. A tension spring I08 secured to the post 40 urges it downward to maintain the follower 89 in contact with the cam 96, the latter effecting the raising of the post with the carrier bars 30 and also the operation of the chamber doors 44, 46 as willnow be explained.

Both of the elements I04 are pivotally con. nected to rocker arms IIO respectively secured to opposite ends of a horizontal rod H2 (Fig. 4) provided for the purpose of controlling simultaneous movements of the chamber doors 44, 4E. Projections H4 of the respective doors are connected to the rod II2 for rotary and vertical movement therewith. The heightwise motion of said rod H2 is derived from a pair of links IIS which are simultaneously raised or lowered by the posts 40 and afford bearings for the ends of the rod II2.

For providing movement in translation to the carrier bars 30 so that their path becomes rectangular and is disposed heightwise of the chamber I2, a cam follower I25 (Fig. 5) on the unloading side of the machine engages the periphery of one of the cams 96 and is supported in bearings formed in one end of a bell crank I22. The bell respective vercrank I22 is fulcrumed on the stand ID, the follower I20 being maintained in contact with the cam 96 by a tension spring I24 (Figs. 2 and 5) anchored to the stand. Oscillation of the bell crank I22 is imparted to one end of a link I26 (Fig. 5) also pivotally connected to the stand II) by a pin I20. The other end of the link I26 is secured to the lower end. of a link I30 (Figs. 1, 5 and 6) having pivotal connection with one arm of a bell crank I32. The latter is pivotally supported by a rock shaft I34 having bearings journalled in the stand I0. The other arm of the bell crank I32 is pivotally connected to one of the lugs 34 (Fig. 6). The spring I24 also serves to return the carrier bars 30 to their initial posi tion underlying the loading platform 40 after they have been laterally shifted crosswise of the chamber I2 to carry the work one stage toward the unloading platform 50.

Before operating the apparatus to prepare uppers for pulling-over, it is preferable to subject the chamber I2 to an initial warming-up period in order to prevent drops of condensation from forming on the relatively cold walls and then possibly marring the work. Having run the motor 86 and pump I9 for a few minutes with the thermostats I0, 25, and 28 suitably adjusted to provide temperatures appropriate to the leather to be treated, conditions within the chamber become stable and the rate of admission of dry air normally need not be changed unless a different type of leather is to be retempered. An operator places the first last L with its upper U loosely mounted thereon on the loading platform 49, themember 51 and switch 56 acting as temporary supports. By bearin down lightly on the heel part of the last and then releasing it, the operator trips the switch 56 against the resistance of the spring 65, disengaging the stop 10 from the roll I2, thereby permitting the clutch sleeve I4 to be shifted by the spring 82 along the shaft I6 and into engagement with the rotating sprocket 80. The cams 96 will thereby be rotated in phase one revolution, the roll 72 then being arrested by the block I0, the latter acting to shift the clutch sleeve I4 out of driving engagement.

In each cycle of the cams 96 the work is shifted one stage preferably slightly more than the width of a shoe from the vicinity of one steam distributor 24 to the next and toward the unloading platform 50. At the start of this cycle the rods 36 and carrier bars 30 are lifted by the rollers 99, members 98, lever I02, posts 40, and members 38, and simultaneously the doors 44, 4B are raised with the rod I I2 as aforesaid. The doors are at the same time swung open further by the rod I I2 as the latter is rotated by means of the rocker arms IIO, elements I04 and members 98.

The arrangement is such that as soon as the doors have moved to provide the minimum triangular opening adequate to admit or discharge the work, the bars 30 have lifted the last and upper from the switch 56 and rest 51, and the bell crank I32 is being actuated by the elements connecting it with the follower I20. Accordingly, the carrier bars 30 are moved longitudinally of the rods 35 to the extent that the cam 96 effects travel of the lug 34 secured to the bell crank I32, and consequently the upper is shifted in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 4 to a position inside the chamber I2. The bars 30 then lower under the control of cams 96 to deposit the last on the rests 52 for tempering of its upper, the doors 44, 46 being closed rapidly to prevent much loss in heat from the chamber I2.

Because the upper was. initially at room temperature or below the dew point within the chamber 52 and is suddenly subjected to superheated steam at elevated temperature, there will be an evenly distributed film of condensed moisture deposited on both the inner and outer surfaces of the upper. This conditioning film will appropriately be thicker when the upper leather is thicker. The efi'ect of the steam circulated over the two surfaces of the upper appears to be to hasten retempering by enabling the leather to absorb a large portion of the wet film which has thus been deposited without harmful excess.

As we have assumed that the machine has commenced operation with this first upper and no others are then in the chamber 12, the switch 56 may be immediately tripped again with a second shoe to be treated. This results in the conveyor means shifting both uppers sidewise so that both may be undergoing conditioning wit in the chamber. When a pulling-over operation takes approximately half as long as the minimum time to retemper an upper, as frequently is the case, it is found that the chamber l2 accommodating only two uppers is of most satisfactory size. The pulling-over machine opera-- tor or his assistant may again depress the switch 58 with a third last and'upper to enable the carrier mechanism to introduce this third upper to the chamber and remove the first one through the door at for deposit on rests 5 at the unloading station 59. The first shoe is then ready for pulling-over as a fourth shoe is placed on the loading platform :38. Thereafter, the conditioning steps may be similarly repeated, upper after upper, as rapidly as the pulling-over machine op erator finds it desirable.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

Apparatus for consecutively tempering shoe uppers, comprising a normally closed work conditioning chamber having within its lower regions a series of steam distributors for directing vapor upon the surfaces of upper materials when presented within said chamber, work-loading and unloading platforms separately located at opposite sides of the chamber, stationary work rests above the level of the steam distributors and extending through the chamber from the loading platform to the unloading platform, work-conveyor means including a Work carrier operatively positioned adjacent said rests and having an upward, forward, downward and backward movement adapted engagingly to advance the work consecutively into and later out of said chamber toward the unloading platform, a door at each of said opposite sides of the chamber, and mechanism for operating said conveyor means and doors in synchronism whereby the doors are opened simultaneously With the upward movement of the carrier to permit passage of the work through said sides during the forward movement of the carrier.

MIETH MAESER.

LEON D. AIDE'RMAN.

REFERENCES CETED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

